Hornets' Brandon Miller Out vs. Knicks After Suffering Sprained Ankle Injury

The Charlotte Hornets announced that rookie forward Brandon Miller will not return to Sunday's game against the New York Knicks after suffering a sprained left ankle during the second quarter.

Prior to getting injured, Miller was enjoying an excellent game with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, plus three assists, two rebounds and one block in 10 minutes.

The Hornets selected Miller with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft out of Alabama.

Entering play Sunday, Miller was enjoying a solid rookie campaign with averages of 13.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 three-pointers made per contest.

Efficiency has been an issue, as Miller was shooting just 41.9 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from beyond the arc, but he was making almost everything Sunday against the Knicks before being forced to exit.

In his one collegiate season at Alabama, Miller was one of the best players in the nation, averaging 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists for a Crimson Tide team that reached the Sweet 16.

The 20-year-old Miller was both the SEC Player and Rookie of the Year, and he was named the SEC Tournament MVP as well.

In the 2023 NBA draft, the Hornets had their pick of everyone besides center Victor Wembanyama, and they went with Miller over the likes of Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson.

Miller joined a supremely talented Hornets team led by a young core of LaMelo Ball, P.J. Washington and Mark Williams, as well as veterans Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward.

Despite the talent, the Hornets were just 3-5 entering Sunday, and they could struggle to get back to .500 if Miller is forced to miss some time.

J.T. Thor will likely be the main beneficiary in terms of seeing an uptick in playing time if Miller's absence extends beyond Sunday's game.